


Now That The World Isn't Ending

by LazyLazer



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Best Friends, Camping, Car Accident, Cute, Disability, F/F, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Setting things right, William is alive, caretaker, getting back to normal, getting better, reconnecting, so cute i hope, what is normal?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:28:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23600833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazyLazer/pseuds/LazyLazer
Summary: That day in 2008 changed Chloe's life forever. She lost her best friend, and she came very close to losing her dad, too. With time, William healed, and the Price family began establishing a new normal.When William tells her one morning that he wants things to go back to the way they used to be, Chloe doesn't see how that's possible. When William says he wants her to be a kid again and "experience life," Chloe thinks he's being ridiculous. When he says he wants to go camping like they used to every summer, she thinks he's out of his fucking mind.Perhaps he is, but he knows there's only one way to get his daughter back to her old self.
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price
Comments: 35
Kudos: 89





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Thanks_for_the_letters](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thanks_for_the_letters/gifts).



**_Burning the midnight oil again_ **

**_Sitting out here listening to the wind_ **

**_I just called to tell you that I miss you my old friend_ **

**_Burning the midnight oil again._ **

Smiling, Chloe stuck her hand out of the car window to let the wind take it wherever it pleased while she sang along with her dad’s favorite country song. The sun felt warm on her skin. She felt content, happy. Happier than she’d been in a long time. _If mom were here, she’d tell him to turn that junk off._

But Joyce wasn’t with them, so Chloe told her dad to turn it up. William smiled at her and obliged. Along with the tune, William sang, “Picking up my lover from the grocery store.”

Fear ignited in Chloe’s gut and washed over her in an instant. _This isn’t right. I’m not supposed to be here._

William tapped on the steering wheel in time with the music as he continued singing with the actual lyrics of the song. Chloe looked at him in the rearview mirror. He looked up to meet her eyes. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

_Tell him! TELL HIM! TELL HIM NOW!!_

Her mouth wouldn’t move. Concerned, William turned to look at her after a cursory glance forward at the car ahead of him. The sky darkened before her eyes.

_DON’T LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT THE ROAD, DAD, PLEASE! WHY THE FUCK CAN’T I SAY ANYTHING?!_

She heard it. The truck engine rumbled as it barreled toward the car. William’s smile fell.

_LOOK OUT!_

The earth shook as the truck approached. Chloe braced herself for impact. William faced forward and removed his hands from the wheel as if he was giving up. Like he knew his fate.

_DAD, NO! DO SOMETHING! SWERVE! ANYTHING! PLEASE!_

It happened in slow motion. The truck collided with the engine block, making the car spin. Chloe watched in horror as the glass shattered and flew across the car creating thousands of cuts on her father’s skin, yet it had no effect on her. Nothing did. She could feel the heat from the fire building from the front of the car. She smelled his skin burning, his broken arm flailed around with the motion of the car. All of these terrible things were happening to him, yet his expression remained blank. 

“DAD!” Chloe was finally able to shout.

William turned to look at her. “I’m sorry.”

* * *

Chloe shot up from her bed with a gasp. “Shit!” Her heart hammered in her chest. She breathed heavily as she took in her surroundings. She was in her room, in her bed, everything was fine. Chloe tried to get her breathing and her heart under control by taking a few deep breaths. How is it that her body still had this kind of reaction to the dream? She’d been having the same exact dream for years on end, yet her body still wanted to flip its shit every time she had it. _Aren’t you fucking bored of this, brain? Fuck you, seriously._

Her shirt clung to her chest. _Ugh, gross._ She got up from her bed and stripped the shirt off and threw it in the hamper. She grabbed the glass on her bedside table and, in her sports bra and gym shorts, walked across the hall to the bathroom. While she filled the glass at the sink, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her short, strawberry blonde hair was plastered to her forehead and scalp. The dark circles under her eyes had become more pronounced, even though she’d felt pretty well rested despite the dream’s interruption. She rolled her eyes at her reflection. _Get it together, Price. It was just a dream. The same dream. It’s not even important. It’s over._

She greedily gulped the water from her glass and then refilled it to take back to her room. She set the glass on the nightstand and grabbed the towel she had draped over her desk chair to dry off. After dabbing at her forehead, she tossed the towel into her laundry pile. She flopped into her bed with a groan, ready to return to sleep. It was then she realized that she had landed face first into her sopping wet pillow, and her sheets were drenched too. _Fuck me…_

Chloe sighed and rolled over to look at the time. _Hmm 6:15. It’s basically time to get up anyway._

She put her phone down, perhaps too aggressively, on the side table, and crawled out of her sodden bed. She pulled the blankets and sheets from the mattress and threw them into her laundry pile along with her pillow.

_I guess it’s laundry day._ She scooped the pile of clothes into the sheet to use it as a sack to carry it down the steps and to the laundry room. Things were different now; the laundry room didn’t used to be in this part of the garage. It was strange doing laundry in a place that still smelled of oil and gasoline, but things had to change around a bit after the accident. It was a lot more than a bit, but Chloe knew that all of the changes were necessary to keep her dad here and healthy. 

Her parent’s room was on the other side of the wall, so as quietly as she could, she threw her sheets, blankets, and pillows into the washer with a cup of detergent. She’d collect clothes from her parent’s room when she was sure they were awake.

Chloe wiped her hands on her shorts and made her way to the kitchen to start breakfast. _Coffee first._ She still had to be as quiet as possible. Joyce could be a real bitch if she was woken too early. Granted, she worked two jobs and did shit for everyone else’s families, so she was probably pretty tired. Chloe didn’t understand why that had to be her problem when it was a choice that Joyce had made. There was a lot of settlement money from the accident, yet Joyce insisted on working all of the time because it wouldn’t “last forever.” _Sure it won’t, but you don’t have to kill yourself when there’s enough money for right now. Maybe Dad looking for a job will cool her tits._

Joyce hadn’t coped very well with William’s accident. She blamed herself because it was her that needed to be picked up from the store. She could have taken the bus, but she didn’t want to. It would be quicker for him to come and get her. Because of her impatience, William was nearly killed. The truck hit the engine block, but if it had been a few seconds later, it would have hit his door, and it’s likely that Chloe would be fatherless right now. Chloe hated thinking about that possibility. She blamed Joyce for a while, too, but then she realized Joyce was being harder on herself than anyone else could possibly be. Plus, she didn’t make that guy drink all day before he decided it was time to hit the road. Chloe theorized she worked so much because of the guilt she felt. She couldn’t bear looking at him. Unfortunately, that left Chloe in the position to do everything else. 

While the bacon fried, she grabbed the container filled with various medicines for William and slid them in front of her on the counter. She placed several pills in a tiny, plastic cup. _How does he swallow this stuff multiple times a day?Just thinking about putting this many pills in my mouth makes me want to yak._

She placed the little plastic cup at William’s place at the dining room table with a glass of orange juice. Chloe hated that he had to take them, but she felt that he was improving day by day. When her and Joyce arrived at the hospital after the accident, she felt she was never going to see her dad again. That was true in a way. He was still her dad, but he was a bit different now. 

After several surgeries, they were allowed to visit him in the hospital. Chloe was not prepared for what she saw. The first thing she noticed was that he was missing his left leg from the knee down. She barely managed to remain conscious as she surveyed the rest of him. He looked burnt. His arms were broken as was his other leg. His eyes were swollen shut. Chloe couldn’t hold back the horrid sob that escaped her throat when the doctor explained he was in a coma and they didn’t know if he would wake up. In about three weeks, he surprised them all. A nurse suggested Chloe read him his favorite book because William might be able to hear her, so Chloe read him his favorite book, _Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep_ , and William squeezed her hand. Joyce, Chloe, and the hospital staff were elated. 

It took him a few days before he could actually speak to them. The doctor told them that he had a “traumatic brain injury,” so it was going to take a while to determine how that injury would affect him. It started with just a few words, and it was clear it was very difficult for him to say them. The words were there, but he was struggling to find them and push them out. He couldn’t write the words either, which pissed him off even more. It started simple. He would say he was hungry or thirsty. He would say if he didn’t want to watch something on tv and wouldn’t stop complaining until you put on the channel that aired _MacGuyver._ He worked up to sentences fairly quickly. His first full sentence was to Joyce. He said, “I love you.”

After a few weeks they moved him to a rehabilitation facility where he participated in daily physical and speech therapy. He was there for four months before Joyce and Chloe could bring him home. While William was in the hospital, Joyce worked her ass off to pay for all of the things that needed done to the house. She had a contractor come in and make the garage into their bedroom so William wouldn’t have to go upstairs. They also set up plumbing in their room because there wasn’t a bathroom downstairs. 

Chloe thought this was pretty rad at first. She had an entire floor of the house to herself! It was pretty cool, until she realized what it meant. This “luxury” came at a cost. She felt sick with herself for even thinking like that. The thought motivated her to do better. To work harder. 

While Joyce worked to pay for all of the renovations, Chloe sat at home. She always had a list of chores to do, but it was hard to do them when you didn’t give a fuck. She took the bus to visit her dad everyday. He was always happy to see her. They would usually play a game of cards when he was feeling up to it. If he wasn’t, she would read him books. When she left, she’d use the money that Joyce gave her for a few groceries, head back home, cook something for herself, and then let loneliness consume her. 

Chloe cracked a few eggs into a frying pan. _Don’t you dare start thinking about Max right now._

She never wanted to think about Max Caulfield ever again, but she thought about her every single day. The last time she saw her was on the day of the accident. It was one of her fondest memories of Max. She and Max went on a grand adventure and found their buried pirate treasure. Yet, Chloe knew that Max was about to tell her that she was moving away, and that Max was terrified to do it. Chloe understood; saying it out loud made it more real. She knew they would always be friends, though. Max and Chloe forever. That was until her entire world fell apart. 

When Chloe came home from the hospital a few days later, Max had left the tape recorder out with a message for Chloe. She said, “We’re still Max and Chloe. I will always, always love you. Goodbye.” She was overwhelmed with sadness, but she knew that she could get through this. Max had her back. They loved each other.

_What a load of bullshit that was, huh, Maxipad?_

The last time Max bothered sending Chloe a text was November 28, 2009. They were going to set up a time to talk on the phone, but it never happened. Chloe tried to reach her a few times after that, but Max never responded. Chloe sent her one last message on January 3, 2010, and Max didn’t respond. _She still hasn’t responded and that was two fucking years ago._ No matter how hard she tried to hate her, she missed Max deeply. She missed Max so much that it hurt to think about her, but Chloe tortured herself on a daily basis regardless. 

William liked his eggs over-easy. She flipped the egg delicately in the pan and successfully kept the yolk intact. It had taken her forever to tackle that skill. William didn’t really care; he would eat whatever she made without a complaint, but it was important to Chloe to do things well. She needed to do things right, or what was her purpose? She wasn’t going to school, so she needed to be doing things well in other areas of her life. 

Chloe had been accepted to Blackwell Academy and had started attending before the accident. She liked the school part okay, but the rich pricks she went to school with liked to make fun of her because her family was “poor” and she was there on scholarship. Principal Wells had made some accommodations for Chloe after the accident and even let her submit work online, but Chloe grew tired of that quickly. It wasn’t as important as her father’s well-being. She dropped out of school with Joyce’s permission; Joyce needed her at home taking care of William. William was infuriated when he first found out about it, but Joyce talked him down. The next day, William took it upon himself to teach Chloe as much as he could until he was well enough for her to go back to school. 

Chloe flipped the frying bacon over in the pan using a fork. The strip of bacon closest to her slipped off the fork and splattered hot bacon grease all over Chloe’s bare belly. “Dammit ow!” She reached over by the sink to the roll of paper towels. She ripped one off and used it to dab at the grease.

“It helps if you wear a shirt while you cook, hon,” Joyce stated matter-of-factly. 

Startled, Chloe swung around to see her mother already dressed for work at the Bean Hip Cafe. “I was uh...I was hot.”

“Mhm,” Joyce responded. She flipped through the stack of mail that Chloe had left on the counter for her to look through. “Pay the water and electric bill today. They shut those off, and we’ll be in big trouble.”

“‘Kay,” Chloe said. She placed a couple of the eggs, a few pieces of bacon, and a piece of toast on a plate for Joyce and brought the plate to her at the counter.

“Oh, sorry darlin’, I gotta get goin’. No breakfast for me today.”

“But I made enough for all three of us.”

Joyce frowned. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I can’t.” Joyce walked around the counter and pulled Chloe’s face in to give her a kiss on the cheek. “You eat it for me. You need some meat on your bones.” She let Chloe go and walked into the hall to grab her keys from the bowl by the phone. “Oh, and put some salve on that burn. It’s in our room in the...heck, I don’t know where it is. I love you! Have a good day!” The door closed before Chloe had a chance to respond. 

Chloe rolled her eyes. _Great start to the day. Maybe dad and I can split the food. Don’t want to waste it. I’ve got to be getting to the store soon._

This time, Chloe heard her parents’ bedroom door open. “Hey, kiddo! Can you give me a quick hand?” 

Chloe rushed over to see her dad standing in the doorway. He had already put his prosthetic on, and had his cane in hand. He was still getting used to walking with it, and he wasn’t quite trusting of his balance yet. “Hey!” Chloe said, surprised to see he had gotten himself this far without help. “What’s up?”

“There’s a plate and a cup over there. I don’t quite trust myself enough to bring them to the kitchen. Your mother will kill me if I break another glass.”

Chloe went into action. “Oh yeah, no problem. Do you need some help getting to the table? I can come right back.”

“No, I think I can make it.” William started slowly toward the kitchen table. They had created a clear path for him months ago for this exact occasion. 

Chloe quickly grabbed the plate and glass from the bedroom and came back to make sure William was getting along okay. She’d learned not to help him too much or he got frustrated with her. It didn’t keep her from worrying about him though. By the time he reached the table, Chloe was there to greet him with his breakfast plate. She sat their plates down and went to pull out his chair. 

“No, I got it. Sit down.”

“O-okay.” Chloe took her seat and watched her dad pull out his own chair and sit down with some difficulty. 

William sighed. “Hell yeah. Crushed it,” he said with a chuckle.

“Good job, dad.” Chloe smiled.

Chloe picked up her fork and dug in. William poured his pills into his mouth and washed them down with the orange juice.   
  
“How’s your pain today?” Chloe asked.

“Not bad, kiddo. Not bad at all.” William dunked a piece of toast into one of his eggs and took a bite. “You’ve gotten so good at this,” he complimented.

“Thanks!”

“You’ve done a really great job around here. I hope you know that. And I hope you know I appreciate you stepping up the way you have. I’m really sorry things turned out this way.”

Chloe reached across the table to grab her father’s hand. “No problem, dad. Don’t worry about it.”

William cleared his throat and took another sip of his juice. “Look, Chloe.” His face was serious. It frightened Chloe a bit because it wasn’t a face she was used to, so she pulled back her hand. “I don’t want to get all, how do you say it.. ‘goopy’ on you, but I know we wouldn’t have gotten through this without you.” He sighed again, tears forming in his eyes. 

_No, no, no, please no parental waterworks today._

“This wasn’t how I intended on having this conversation. Woo, shit.”

“That’s a dollar for the swear jar,” Chloe said with a smirk, hoping to ease the tension in the room.

William laughed. “Thank you for that,” he said when he calmed down a bit. “Anyways, I’ll continue. Uh...so I know that with all of the work you’ve done, you’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices. You haven’t seen your friends, gone to school, you do all of the housework. I just want you to know that things are going to change, sweetheart. Starting this weekend.”

Chloe’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Dad, I don’t have a problem doing what I do. I’m fine.”

“I’m getting better, Chlo, and I want to take more of a role in the house so that you can be a kid again. You’ve…” William bit his lip to steady it. “You’ve done so much for me. I’ve ruined your childhood.” A single tear streamed down his cheek. “I’m so sorry for that.”

“You haven’t ruined _anything_ , dad! Don’t talk like that!”

“But I have! You should be having fun with your friends, going to school, raising hell! Not playing nurse for your old man.”

Chloe shook her head. “None of that other shit is important, dad. You’re important.”

William smiled warmly. “And so are you, sweetheart. What I need is for you to _be_ you. I’m doing okay now. I want you to be free.”

Chloe was growing frustrated. “What does that mean?”

“It means that I want you to go back to school. I want you to make friends. I want you to _experience_ things. I want you to get your driver’s license. I want you to party. I want you to fall in love!”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “I’ve learned what I need from you. I can fix a car, I can survive in the wilderness, I can...build shit! What else do I need? I have you. I have mom.”

“You _deserve_ those rites of passage, kiddo. You’ll never get them here. Please, Chloe. Please. I need you to get out there and live.”

Chloe threw her fork down on her plate having barely touched her meal.

“I see that you’re mad at me. I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy conversation. Your mother and I have been talking about this a lot lately, and we’ve agreed it’s time to make some changes.”

_So that’s why she ran out of here this morning._

“This weekend, the three of us are going on a little trip.”

“What?” Chloe snapped.

“We are going camping at Elk Creek. Like we used to every summer.”

“Are you out of your _fucking_ mind?! You-you can’t possibly do that. There’s way too much risk! What if you fall or what if you get one of your headaches?”

William remained calm. “I’ll be fine. Your mother and I have rented a RV, so it’s not like we’ll be roughing it. Although, you’re welcome and encouraged to do so, if you want. I got an okay from my doctors last week. I’m out of the woods! And...going into the woods. Sorry, dad joke. The point is that we are going on this trip as a family. Your mother needs some time off, and we need to reconnect. I want to go back to the way it was.”

Chloe got up from her chair. “This is insane. I’m done.” She grabbed her plate and took it to the kitchen to throw away what was left, which was most of it. She threw her plate in the sink with a clatter. 

“I’ll need your help getting some stuff together today,” William continued, ignoring her tantrum.

“Whatever,” she replied, going into her parent’s room to grab their laundry.

“You’ll thank me later!” William called after her.

The garage door slammed as she went out the door with the laundry. William shrugged and continued eating his breakfast. “Thaaat didn’t go as well as I’d hoped.”


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe refused to talk to Joyce or William. She sat in the back, arms crossed, headphones on, ignoring all of their attempts to get her attention. The car was loaded with mostly William’s things: medicine, a walker, a cane, a giant medical kit. They had to be prepared for any occasion at Joyce’s insistence. Chloe agreed, but she wasn’t going to tell her so. She wasn’t going to let her dad suffer because they were unprepared. That wasn’t going to stop her from letting them know just how displeased she was with the whole situation. 

“Chloe? CHLOE?!” Joyce shouted.

“WHAT?!” Chloe yelled back, annoyed. 

“This is a family weekend, and I would really like you to be WITH the family, please.”

Chloe ripped her ear buds from her ears. “What do you wanna talk about, mom, huh? Oh, I know! How about we list the reasons why this is  _ fucking _ insane? Number one—”

“Hey! Don’t speak to your mother like that! I don’t care how ‘insane’ you think this is,” William scolded. 

“Are you serious? You really think that it’s safe for you—”

“It’s perfectly safe!” William spoke over her. “We talked about this, Chloe. I am better now. You don’t have to worry.” 

“Psssht, it’s a little late for that, dad, really?!”

“That’s enough,” William snapped. “Honey, I appreciate your concern for me. I do, but we are doing this BECAUSE I’m well enough. We aren’t taking an unnecessary risk.”

Chloe dug her nails into her thighs. “Well, if something happens, don’t ask for my help.”

William was frustrated. “ _ That’s  _ the plan,” he muttered. He’d spent enough time with her to know this is how Chloe operated. She masterfully threw words out like daggers, but later she’d come and help you fix up your wounds. She was so wonderfully passionate, which made it all the more frustrating to argue with her, just like her mother. 

Chloe put her headphones back in her ears and re-crossed her arms. She watched William and Joyce share a glance in the front seat. Chloe was able to read Joyce’s lips. Joyce said, “This better be worth it.”

She didn’t see if her father responded. She closed her eyes and threw her head back, determined to ignore them as much as possible for the rest of the weekend.  _ There’s no way this is going to go well. They’ll see. She doesn’t even know how to take care of him on a normal day. Add a dash of wilderness and she’ll be desperate to go home in a few hours. _

* * *

“Chloe, wake up.” Joyce shook her arm lightly.

Chloe jumped forward at once. “What?! What’s wrong?!”   


“Nothin’, hon. We’re here.”

Chloe nodded and rubbed her eyes. It took a moment to get her bearings, but when she looked out at the trees surrounding them and smelled the fresh, woody air, her heart leapt in her chest. She hurried out of the car and looked around.  _ It’s just how I remember it. Nothing’s changed.  _ It was like this place was frozen in time while the world crumbled down around it. 

“Hasn’t changed a bit has it?” William walked toward her carefully, using his cane and taking gentle steps. 

Chloe shook her head in response and took a deep breath of the fresh air. William grabbed a bag from the trunk and started making his way back toward the oversized RV sitting on the lot. Chloe went to grab the bag from him.

“Nope,” he said. “I’ve got it. Go check out the RV.” Chloe grabbed a different bag from the trunk before heading in. There were a few steps, but it was pretty easy to get in with the handle bars.  _ Should work nicely for dad.  _ Once inside, Chloe felt like she had entered someone’s home. 

Joyce was in the kitchen putting away food and condiments from the cooler into the refrigerator. “Pretty big, huh?”

Chloe looked around the living area in awe. The sides of the RV were extendable when parked, so it looked like a full size living room. There was a table with bench seats, a couch, a tv, a couple recliners, a loft bed.  _ Shit, this is nicer than our house. _

“Damn,” Chloe said to herself. She dropped the bag she carried in onto the floor. She touched the fabric on the recliner in front of her to discover everything was upholstered with microfiber.  _ So soft, holy shit. This isn’t camping! This is the lap of luxury!  _

Joyce chuckled. “Your father said you were stayin’ in the tent, right?”

“Yeah.”  _ So nice of them to kick me out of this mobile mansion.  _

“You better get to setting it up, then. If you need help, let me know.”

_ Pfft, yeah right, Joyce. _

Chloe skipped the steps and hopped out of the RV. She retrieved the tent from the trunk while her dad was making slow trips back and forth from the car to the RV. She considered helping him, but if he wanted to be stubborn, she was going to be too. She rolled her eyes at him. He just kept smiling.  _ He’s going to be exhausted. You’re an idiot, dad. _

Chloe found a relatively flat piece of land far away from the RV. The grass was lush, so it would provide some cushion.  _ Perfect. _ She threw the tent parts onto the ground with a huff. She took a red, paisley handkerchief in her back pocket and rolled it up to tie around her head.  _ Let’s do this. _

It only took her about 20 minutes, but it was hot enough outside that she had worked up a sweat doing it. Her hair was matted around her face, and she was thankful for the handkerchief keeping hair and sweat from her eyes. The coolness from the shade provided by a nearby tree wasn’t any match for the rising temperature. Determined to get done sooner than later, she pounded in a spike with her mallet with all of her force. She raised her arm to hammer in the spike further when she heard a voice she hadn’t heard in years. Her arm froze in place.

“Heeeey, old man. Who let you in here?” The deep voice made Chloe’s heart leap for the second time that day.  _ It can’t be. No fuckin’ way. _

She turned around to prove herself wrong. Bro-hugging William was the one and only Ryan Caulfield. Chloe’s thoughts moved like molasses through her neurons.  _ If he’s here, that means that his family is also probably here, too. That means that Vanessa is here. That means MAX is here! _

Just as her thoughts caught up with themselves, who else but Maxine Caulfield walked around the front of the RV, her mother behind her. Chloe’s heart now resided in her throat.  _ W...what?  _ Chloe stood up, staring dumbly as William and Joyce greeted the Caulfields, hugging them and getting reacquainted. “You look great!” Vanessa said to Joyce. 

“So do you! It’s so great to see you!” Joyce replied.

“What do you think of the RV? She’s a beauty, isn’t she?” Ryan said to William.

“Oh, gorgeous! She’s really something!” William agreed.

These conversations sounded muffled to Chloe while she tried to decide if she was happy or enraged. 

“Long Max Silver!” William opened his arms to her, and Max ran to them without hesitation. “It’s good to see you, squirt.” William rubbed her back, and Max held him tight. 

_ You’re imagining this, Chloe. It can’t be real. You’re finally losing it, congratulations. _

“I missed you so much!” said the person who looked like Max with Max’s voice. Max’s sweet, soft, unsure, totally adorable voice.

_ Am I dreaming? That must be it. I’m at home in bed, and we haven’t even left yet. _

Chloe knew that wasn’t true. The Caulfields were here, in front of her, after two years of total radio silence.

Max let go of William. Her eyes found Chloe’s.

Maybe she was a little taller, a bit more grown up in general, but she still had her head to toe freckles and her brown ponytail. There was a blue messenger bag with the brown leather across her body.  _ To hold her camera, I bet.  _ She wore jean shorts and a white t-shirt that said, “Oh Snap!” with a graphic of a camera that screamed Max like you wouldn’t believe.  _ She hasn’t changed at all. _

Max smiled hesitantly and waved at Chloe. In that moment, Chloe wanted nothing more than to run to Max and lift her from the ground in a giant hug. Chloe wanted to hold onto her and never let go ever again. She missed her so much that she could kiss her.

_!!! _

When Chloe didn’t move, Max spoke. “H-hey, Chlo! It’s great to see you. I missed you so much!” Max took a step toward her. 

_ No. _

Chloe threw the mallet down to the ground, the heavy  _ thud _ startling Max. Chloe walked away into the woods without a word. 

* * *

The rushing water of the rapids wasn’t loud enough to drown out the sound of her own thoughts. Chloe didn’t know what she felt, but she most certainly felt  **THINGS** . All of it, the whole situation, was too much. Her dad was here, and he shouldn’t be. Max was here, and she shouldn’t be.  _ Did they expect me to be HAPPY with all of this. _ She picked up the heaviest rock she could manage and threw it with all her might into the river. She could feel its impact with the water, like the bass when she played her music loudly in her room, and how the water took the rock into itself with a gulp. It wasn’t satisfying to her overwhelmed mind, however. 

She wanted the feeling to be more direct, more fulfilling. She wanted something to  _ hurt.  _

_ She _ wanted to hurt but in a different way.

Chloe picked up whatever she could around her. Rocks, branches, logs, anything and everything was free game. She tossed each thing she grabbed into the water or at surrounding rocks and trees. She knew in her mind how childish this was, that she was throwing a temper tantrum in the woods, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was that it was making her feel better. She picked up a large, fallen branch and began hacking at a nearby tree with it. She wouldn’t stop until the tree was down or the branch broke. Of course, the latter happened first. Unsatisfied, she attacked the tree with her own two hands, punching, pounding, and scraping at the bark.

From deep within her chest came a bellow she didn’t know she was capable of making, but if felt fucking good. Birds flew from their homes as the woods replayed the sound back to her.

Out of breath and dripping with sweat, Chloe looked around her feeling exhausted at last. She tried to ignore the disappointment she felt that Max hadn’t come after her.

* * *

It was dark when she headed back. She didn’t want to see anyone, and she sure as hell didn’t want to talk to them. She was tired, physically and emotionally. Even in the dark, Chloe had no problem finding her way back. She knew the woods like the back of her own hand. All of it was muscle memory. She knew every tree, every root, and every hole you could break your ankle in. 

When she arrived, there were lights on in the RV, and she could hear some conversation and laughter inside.  _ Dad’s doing okay, I guess. He doesn’t need me. Apparently, everyone was good with me staying away all night.  _

Chloe knelt down and unzipped her tent as quietly as possible. She crawled in, pleased to see that someone had put her sleeping bag in the tent for her. Chloe had absolutely no intention of going near the car or RV to get it, so it was a welcome sight for her sore, tired body. A soft voice stopped her from unrolling her bed. “Chloe,” it said.

Chloe froze in place, her heart racing.  _ How did I not see her in here, you fucking idiot? Of course she’s in here. That’s the way we always did things. _

Chloe turned slowly to see Max in her own sleeping bag, her blue eyes wide and desperate. “Hi. Again,” Max said, her voice shaking with nerves. 

The feeling she had felt earlier of wanting to pull Max into a bear hug returned. She needed her, she knew that, but she had needed her for a long time, and she was never there. Chloe’s anger returned but at a much lower level than earlier. She was too tired to be angry at her and didn’t really want to be. 

With nothing to say, Chloe unzipped her sleeping bag and tucked herself in.  _ How are we supposed to do this for a whole weekend?  _

Max’s sleeping bag rustled.  _ Good, we’ll just go to sleep and pretend the other doesn’t exist. Perfect. Must be really easy for you, Max. You’ve done it for years.  _

Max placed her hand on Chloe’s shoulder, startling Chloe. “Chloe, I...I’m so sorry.” Chloe shook off Max’s hand. 

_ Go away, Max. I can’t do this now. _ Yet, she didn’t tell the girl to go away. She couldn’t.

“I-I know, I fucked up. I fucked up, and y-you had to suffer because of it. I-I suffered, too. Because of my own stupidity.” Max’s voice shook. Chloe knew Max was going to cry if she wasn’t already.  _ I can’t handle this, Max, please stop. _

“I kn-know that all of my excuses are bullshit. I thought I was d-doing the right thing. I’m so stupid.” With those words, Max began to sob. She choked and said, “I missed you so much. I’ve thought about y-you everyday. I c-can’t imagine what it’s been like for you.”

_ Well, you could have if you bothered talking to me. _

“You shouldn’t be going through this alone, w-without your best friend. I l-love you, Chloe.” Max sniffed. “I’ll do whatever I can to make it up to you. I w-want nothing more than to be your best friend again.” Max put her hand on Chloe’s shoulder once more and Chloe promptly shook it off. She sat up in her sleeping bag and finally turned to face Max. She was ready to launch a full force, verbal assault. She had plenty of things she wanted to say as she had been storing them up for years. She took a breath before beginning her tirade, but in that pause, she took in Max’s face and her devastation. Even in the dark Chloe could see the red splotches that covered her freckled cheeks. She had grown up some, of course, but she saw her best friend. She hadn’t changed at all, really. 

The cruel words died on her lips. They didn’t matter anymore. Chloe shook her head and looked down at her lap. She chuckled lightly, “Your shirt is really fuckin’ lame.” 

Max looked down at it. “Y-yeah,” she chuckled. “My dad got it for me.” The silence dragged before Max spoke again. “I’m sorry, Chloe.”

She had always hated seeing Max cry. When they were little, Chloe vowed to take care of anything that made Max sad. She was so pure, innocent, and kind. Chloe couldn’t break that vow even after all of this shit.

She grabbed Max by the shirt collar and pulled her into her lap. Max yelped thinking she was probably being pulled in for a beating, but Chloe wrapped her arms around Max’s shaking form. She tucked her face into Max’s neck and cried, hard. Max reciprocated the embrace and held Chloe tight. “I’m so sorry,” Max said again. They cried together, not letting each other go, until they both fell asleep.

* * *

Chloe awoke the next morning to voices outside the tent.

“Do you think she’s spoken to her yet?” Ryan Caulfield whispered loudly. He wasn’t very good at it being quiet.

“Mmm. I don’t know,” William responded. “She’s stubborn. Plus, she’s already pissed at me, so poor Max might get the aftermath.”

“Why’s that?”

“She thinks it’s not safe for me being out here.”

“You seem alright to me. If anything happens, there are plenty of us to get you to a hospital quickly.”

“I know. She doesn’t see that, though.” There was a long pause, and then William said, “I fucked up, Ryan. I ruined her life.”

“Whoa, hey,” Ryan patted his shoulder. “Surely you dying would have  _ really _ fucked her up. She’s much better with you here. And you didn’t ask that asshole to drive drunk and smash into you.”

“Yeah.”

“Let me get you some coffee. Can you drink? I can put some Bailey’s in there.”

“Hell, why not. We’re on vacation!” William said brightly.

Chloe sighed.  _ He knows he shouldn’t drink. Is he trying to kill himself?  _ She packed away the rest of the conversation she overheard, not wanting to tackle those issues at the present moment.  _ First things first, tell him he’s a moron and try to get him to stop drinking. _

She tried to get up, but she wasn’t able to move. It was then she remembered her and her best friend had cried all night in each other’s arms. Then, they fell asleep in Chloe’s sleeping bag. Since there wasn’t much room, Max was pretty much on top of Chloe holding her in place.

Some of Max’s hair had fallen from her ponytail and stuck to her sweaty cheeks. It was hot and becoming unbearable in the tent. Somehow, it was still comfortable, though. She gave into Max so easily, and she probably shouldn’t have. She needed to, though. She needed her close. Chloe reached up and brushed those stray, sweaty hairs from Max’s damp cheek.  _ I think she’s even more freckly now. _

Chloe poked Max’s side to try and wake her up, knowing that she was extremely ticklish there. “Max,” she said, poking her in her very ticklish side once more. Max shifted but remained asleep.  _ She never was a morning person.  _ “Max,” Chloe said a little louder. This got Max to open her eyes a bit. Max stretched and pressed herself harder into Chloe in the process.

Chloe’s eyes widened, unsure of why she was so bothered by this. It’s not like this very thing had never happened before. “Hi,” Max said with a smile. Quickly, Chloe pried Max’s arms from her body and slipped out of the sleeping bag. Max’s eyes were red and puffy from their night of crying, and Chloe was sure she didn’t fare any better. Her tank top was drenched with sweat and covered in dirt and grime from the day before. She probably reeked.

“Hey,” Chloe replied with a gulp, trying not to look at Max for too much longer. It was making her uncomfortable. She grabbed her book bag filled with all of her essential items for showering and went to put on her boots.

“Where are you going?” Max yawned.

“Shower,” Chloe replied.

“Oh! That sounds amazing. I’ll come with you!”

Chloe was startled by the impurity of her own thoughts.  _ You know what, Chloe, pack that away too. Pack all of that far, far away, so deep that you never fucking think about it again. What the hell is wrong with you?! _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI! Sorry for the super long wait. I promise it will not be that long for the next one. 
> 
> Quick note, you might be thinking that Chloe was very fast to forgive. I can see why you think that, but in canon she took Max back pretty quickly. They still had their problems, sure. That will show up in this story as well. Chloe is not going to forgive and forget so easily. 
> 
> I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. More soon!
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Long time, no see! To give you a quick recap, William survived the car crash and Chloe has been his main caregiver. It's been a few years since the accident, and things are getting easier. William decides it's time for the family to go on their annual camping trip they used to take every summer. Chloe was absolutely not okay with that. Turns out it was all to get her and Max back on speaking terms. Chloe saw her, freaked out, and then they had a cry sesh in their tent later that night. They woke up cuddling and Chloe felt *things*. 
> 
> Okay, off we go!

William turned his head to the sound of the tent unzipping as he sipped his coffee with Bailey’s. Chloe stared daggers into his soul while she stretched. Max followed close behind as she always had. “Mornin’,” he said to the girls, raising his coffee cup in greeting. “How did you sleep?”

Chloe ignored the question and started her way to the RV. “Have you taken your medicine?”

“Yup, it’s done! I did it all by myself.” 

Chloe’s hand stayed on the door to the RV. His sarcasm did not go unnoticed. “Have you eaten?”

“Not yet. Ryan and I are working on that right now.”

Chloe looked at Ryan who smiled at her awkwardly and waved a spatula at her. “Hey,” he said. “Good to see you, Chloe.

Ignoring him completely, Chloe rolled her eyes and stomped over to where her dad sat by the fire. William’s expression was stern. “Relax, kid. What are you and Max doing? Hitting the showers, I hope. I can smell you from here. Whew!” Both of the fathers chuckled before they took sips of their coffee. 

It was annoying and completely unfunny, a script from the past. To Chloe, it was yet another mechanism for covering up what had transpired between the families. Chloe grabbed the coffee cup from his hands and threw the contents into the fire. She threw the cup into his lap and said, “No drinking.” She readjusted her book bag on her shoulders and started walking toward the showers, satisfied.

“Chloe!” William called her with a tone of warning. 

Chloe ignored him but could feel his eyes boring holes into her back. She looked to Max who looked between the men and Chloe nervously. “You coming?” Chloe barked at Max. Max hesitated momentarily before deciding she was going to do as planned and follow Chloe to the showers.

Once there was some distance between them and the campsite Max asked, “What was that about?”

“What?” Chloe snapped at her.

Chloe’s response startled Max enough to make her jump. “S-sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything,” Chloe spat. Feeling bad immediately, she heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry.”

Max couldn’t meet Chloe’s eyes. “It’s okay.” They walked side by side for a few moments before Max plucked up the courage to break the silence. “Soooo why can’t William drink?”

“He takes, like, 100 medications, dude. Alcohol can make his side effects worse. And his balance isn’t great still. He could hurt himself”

“Oh. That makes sense.” 

“Yeah.” Chloe still couldn’t look at Max. She felt a mixture of shame and anger that she wasn’t sure how to cope with. 

“I-is he...okay?”

“Mhm. It was scary for a while, but he’s okay now. Thinking about getting into vocational rehabilitation to see what he can do. Doc says he’ll only get better as long as he stays active.”  _ She didn’t ask. You can shut up now.  _ “Shit, sorry, I don’t know why I’m telling you all this.” Chloe increased her pace. 

Max increased her speed twice as much to keep up with Chloe. She grabbed Chloe’s arm to get her to slow down. “Hey, don’t be sorry. I want to hear.”

Chloe sighed. “I don’t think that’s really true, Max. If you wanted to know, why didn’t you return my calls? Or my texts?” 

The silence was heavy. Max looked at the ground, ashamed. Her voice shook when she spoke. “You’re right. I meant what I said last night you know?” She wiped her face, presumably to get rid of any tears before looking at Chloe. 

_ Ugh, why can’t I be mad at her?  _ “Yeah. I know.”

“I just...it’s so stupid. I…” Max swallowed hard. “It was me. I had no idea what to say or what to ask.” Max became more hysterical with each word. “I was already a shit friend. I left you. Everything changed so quickly and...I convinced myself that you’d be better off without me. I’d be a constant reminder of how much things had changed.”

Noticing Max’s increasing hysteria, “Let’s go sit,” Chloe suggested. She grabbed Max’s hand and them to a nearby bench.  _ Why am I believing her and giving in so easily? She deserves this. She deserves to feel as bad as she made me feel.  _ Max sat on the bench delicately, wiping her nose with her hand. Chloe flumped down next to her and nudged Max with her elbow.  _ But she’s my Max. Still sweet and innocent.  _ “Dude, that’s so stupid.”

“I know,” Max acknowledged and wiped her eyes again. 

“No, Max, that’s really fucking stupid.” Chloe smirked. 

Max looked at Chloe, incredulous. Chloe watched a mixture of relief and happiness wash over her features. Max smirked back, “ _ I know. _ ”

“You thought that ghosting your best friend since forever would somehow  _ not remind _ me that things had changed? That by you being gone, I would somehow be comforted knowing that things... _ hadn’t changed _ ?”

“Y-yeah,” Max shook her head and sniffed again. “It only makes sense if you’re panicking.”

“I see.”

“Then I’d avoided you for so long I kinda panicked thinking it had been too long and I’d have to explain, so the c-cycle continued, you know?”

Chloe chuckled. “Yeah.” Chloe admitted her own brain worked like that sometimes. She put her arm around Max, and Max quickly leaned into her, resting her head on Chloe’s shoulder. “You went through some shit too then. If your thinking was that fucked.”

“I mean...I miss you a lot. Seattle is just weird. It never felt right, like I didn’t belong there.”

“I get that,” Chloe replied. Chloe cleared her throat to relieve the increasing choking sensation that signaled tears. “I miss you too.” Max cuddled in closer which made Chloe want to cry even more. She felt her spirits lift with each passing moment. The universe had righted itself by bringing them back together. When she spoke, her voice was strained from holding back tears. “Ugh, dude, you’ve turned me into a goop in less than 24 hours.”

Max chuckled. “I’m so sorry, Chloe.” Max wrapped her arms around Chloe in a side hug. “I’m so happy we’re here.”

* * *

The shower was a welcome respite from the intense emotions of the night before and this morning. The hot water felt incredible. Her sore muscles sang out in praise, but her scraped knuckles were pissed. She could stay there all day, but she knew the hot water wouldn’t last long. She remembered coming to camp here in the autumn. They only did it once. There was never any hot water when they went to shower. Her lips turned blue when Joyce forced her to shower, and Max called her “Captain Blue Lips” for the rest of the trip.  _ Such a little brat.  _ She chuckled to herself as she poured shampoo into her palm. 

She started humming out of habit. There was no real tune to it until an idea struck her. Sure there were other people in the restroom showering, sure it was obnoxious, but she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to embarrass Max. 

It was dumb, something they had always done as kids. Every single song they loved was parsed, and each of them had their lines. It didn’t matter when, it didn’t matter where, if one of them started the song the other HAD to sing along. If they didn’t, there would be  **consequences** .  _ Kids and their stupid rules heh heh.  _

She cleared her throat and loudly sang, “I’m coming out of my cage, and I’ve been doing just fine…”

She knew Max heard her; she was just over the half wall. However, the showers hissed and the steam billowed, and there was no response. 

So this time, even louder, Chloe repeated the line, “I’M COMING OUT OF MY CAGE, AND I’VE BEEN DOING JUST FINE…”

The silence was long, but she heard Max’s hesitant voice, “I gotta gotta be down because I want it all.”

Chloe smirked and lathered up the shampoo in her hair. “IT STARTED OUT WITH A KISS HOW DID IT END UP LIKE THIS?” 

“Chloe!” Max whined. 

“Maaaaax!” Chloe mocked. “ **Consequences** !

“Arrrrrgh! It was only a kiss, IT WAS ONLY A KISS!”

“NOW I’M FALLING ASLEEP! AND SHE’S CALLING A CAB…” 

They began singing in unison, caught up in the moment of togetherness. It was the excitement of being reunited that Chloe had been dreaming of. 

“JEALOUSY, TURNING SAINTS INTO THE SEA!” they shouted. Chloe could care less about the tune, this felt amazing, cathartic. 

“OPEN UP MY EAGER EYYYYYYYYES, CAUSE I’M MR. BRIGHTSIDE.” When the line was over they immediately began to giggle. Someone in a random shower stall clapped. Another complained, “Thank Christ.” 

* * *

Chloe emerged from her shower stall clean and in fresh clothes. She put her toiletry bag on the sink and took out her toothbrush and toothpaste.  _ Today is going to be better. I have a good feeling,  _ she thought as she began brushing her teeth. 

She heard Max leave her stall and couldn’t help but look up at her reflection in the mirror to catch a glimpse of Max.  _ Hehhehheh, she probably doesn’t even want to show her face after that. Welcome back to Priceland, Caulfield. _ When Max rounded the corner of the stall, the humidity of the restroom was suddenly stifling, and the heat became so unbearable Chloe nearly choked on her toothpaste. Max wore a pink t-shirt with denim short overalls. Her tangled hair was still dripping wet and making darker pink spots on her shirt. Chloe’s mouth hung open, her eyes glazed. Max smiled sheepishly and placed her toiletry bag next to Chloe’s on the sink. She reached over and playfully pushed Chloe. “You’re the worst!” Max giggled, grabbing her hairbrush. “You got toothpaste on your shirt, dork.”

Chloe had forgotten she was supposed to be a functioning human.  _ When did she get so damn cute?  _

_ Snap out of it! _ “Shit,” she mumbled, causing more foam to pour out of her mouth and onto the surrounding sink. She fumbled around, quickly grabbing paper towels and trying to clean up the mess she made.

Max laughed and shook her head. “You okay?” she asked. 

“Mmm!” Chloe uttered, giving her a quick thumbs up. She spit out the remaining foam and rinsed her mouth, realizing that’s where all of the mess was coming from. “Yup! All good.” She wiped her lips with the back of her hand and then tried her best to wipe up her front with a fresh paper towel.  _ Way to go you fuckin’ numbskull. She’s cute, get over it. _

Max brushed her wet hair back into its usual ponytail while Chloe tried her hardest not to stare.  _ Her legs are longer. More freckles. So many freckles.  _ Chloe shook her head and tried to focus on literally anything else. She ran her fingers through her hair.  _ I can’t breathe. _

“Hey, Max, I’m gonna head outside. It’s really hot in here,” Chloe said as she quickly gathered her things.

“Oh, okay. Will you wait for me?”

_ Forever. _

“Yup!” Chloe shouted accidentally. “Just right outside.”

She got outside as quickly as she could and took a deep breath, but even the air outside was starting to get heavy.  _ Maybe we should go swimming today.  _ Chloe paced around in front of the bathroom.  _ We could search for treasure at the bottom of the river, play underwater secrets, see Max in a bathing suit.  _

Chloe’s heart gave an alarming thud. Her eyes widened at the prospect.  _ You...what are you…!!! You can’t even handle her in what she’s  _ wearing!  _ The fuck is wrong with you? _

Chloe chewed on her thumb nail.  _ You love Max, you always have. That’s not weird. Friends love each other. Friends can, like, hug and sleep in the same bed together and it’s not weird. Doesn’t mean anything, just friendly stuff. Not weird at all. _

“‘Kay! All done,” Max called. Chloe spun around in alarm, feeling like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t. Max looked even more radiant in the sunlight. She smiled as she approached, holding out Chloe’s hairbrush. “You dropped this.” 

Hesitantly, Chloe reached out a shaking hand and grabbed it, careful not to make contact with Max’s hand. “Oh, th-thanks.”

“You’re welcome!” Max readjusted her bag on her shoulder. “Wowsers, it’s really hot already. You wanna go swimming today?”

_ I’m doomed. _

* * *

Chloe picked at her breakfast and avoided making any eye contact with Max. She was sure that if she did she would burst into flames.

“You okay, hun?” Joyce inquired. “You haven’t eaten much.”

“Yeah,” Chloe responded. 

William reached over and put his hand on Chloe’s. “I’m fine. I promise you. I feel great, in fact.”

Chloe looked at him confused for a second. “What?”

“You don’t have to worry about me. You’re officially off duty, so go. Run! Be free! Do whatever it is you kids get up to! Ryan and I are gonna go fish, and your mom and Vanessa are going into town. No kids allowed!”

_ Oh, he thinks this is...holy fuck, I think I actually forgot about him for a second. _

“O-okay, yeah for sure.”  _ Shame on you, Chloe Price, for forgetting your ailing father.  _

William gave her hand a pat. “Good girl. What are you two getting up to today anyway?”

Chloe felt Max’s eyes on her, but she didn’t dare look. She was afraid if she responded her voice would betray her. 

Max swooped in to save her. “We, um, talked about going swimming because it’s really hot,” Max answered.

“Nice! That’ll be fun. You’ll be at your usual spot on the river then?” 

“Yup! I think so,” Max said, excited but unsure.

“That’s great, sweetie, just make sure you wear your sunscreen,” Vanessa interjected. “Chloe, I’m counting on you to remind her. Every summer she has at least one bad sunburn and then she gets more freckles!”

Max looked down at her plate and scooted a bit of egg around. She looked so sad and ashamed. Chloe found the comment snide and unacceptable. So much so that she said without thinking, “I like her freckles!”

Everyone at the table was silent and staring at her. Ryan chuckled and scratched his head. Joyce raised an eyebrow, and William smirked knowingly. She braved looking Max in the eye for the first time since her... _ whatever the fuck that was _ ...and she looked a bit shocked, but at least she was smiling. Chloe knew she was giving her a silent thank you. 

Chloe considered crawling under the table and staying there for the remainder of the trip. If she died down there, it would be fine.

Finally, Vanessa spoke. “O-of course, dear, I’m not saying they’re  _ bad _ . She just has a lot of them.”

“Y-yeah, of course, ha,” Chloe choked out, trying to save face and act like it was a totally normal thing to say.  _ I highly doubt that, lady. Why even say it all? Max’s freckles are great. She’s great. She’s so cute and beautiful and— _

“Chloe gets really fried, too. I swear the sun loves her. She could go out in a rainstorm and still get a sunburn!” Joyce shared. She and Vanessa laughed together at Joyce’s terrible, unfunny joke.

“I’ll take care of it, mom.” Her dejected tone tore at Chloe’s heart.

_ Don’t you worry, Max. You’re gonna have the best goddamn day you’ve ever had.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was so hard to write, and I don't really know why. When I first wrote it, it was hella fucking dark, and Letters and I decided that is not at all the tone we wanted for this story. 
> 
> I was worried because I had Chloe forgive Max so quickly, and some of you mentioned that you were surprised she did. However, Chloe might give Max shit from time to time, but in canon, she is so ready to be friends again. Hopefully that came through here. Plus, it's more fun to be happy. I don't want to go back to the dark place right now.
> 
> Have a great week, everyone. I'll catch you on the flippity flip!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome! I'm so happy you're here!
> 
> This one is a little different, and I'm excited about it. I want to make sure I give credit to Thanks_for_the_letters because he wanted a story where William lived, had disabilities, and was unbelievably proud of his daughter. He handed the reigns to me, and I filled in the rest. This is what I've got, so I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think!
> 
> Stay safe out there, guys!


End file.
